Speed-controlling mechanism for automobiles.



T. W. HENDERSON. SPBEDOONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 22, 1914.

1, 1 1 2, 1 37, Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

.Zmm zfqiz W1ess 1 nvol Attorneys T. W. HENDERSON. SPEED CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

' APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1914. 1 1 1 ,1 37 K I v Patented Sept. 29,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

i? N j mfzieiw/z Inventor Witnesses Attorneys rHoiv As w. HENDERSON, gor 'Fonr' manxson, .I'O.WA..,

SPEED-CONTROLLING MEcHAnIsM FoR AUTOMOBILES. j

' To all whom itmay concern Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May a, 1914. Serial Be it known that I, THOMAS W. HENDEERI- son, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Madison, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Speed-Controlling Mechanism for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a mechanism for controlling the speed of automobiles.

An object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism which will automatically prevent an automobile from exceeding a certain predetermined speed.

nism which can be adjusted so that a valve A further object is to provide a mecha-' will be closed in the intake pipe of an engine when the vehicle attains a certain predetermined speed. The point at which the automatic closing of the valve takes place can be set according to the speed laws and assurance will then be had that the speedof the-vehicle will never exceed the speed permitted bylaw. 2 Another object is to provide a speed controlling mechanism for vehicles which can be locked in a closed position, preventing -the malicious or unauthorized running. of the vehicle.

A further object is to provide a vehicle with the aforementioned mechanism so arranged as to be easily -accessible, allowing adjustments to be conveniently made, thus rendering the mechanism eminently practical, resulting'inits continuous and permanent use. v \Vith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds theinvention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of What is claimed, without de: parting from the spirit of the invention.

' In the drawings accompanying this .specification and forming a part thereof, the preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated, in-which:-

Figure 1 is a fragmental view of the front portion of an automobile with my improved" speed regulating mechanism operably connected thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail view" in elevation of the governor and allied parts. Fig. 3 is a similar representation" with the Patented Sept. 29, 1914. N m-840,283.: vie-wpoint shifted through 90 degrees. Fig.

4 is a detail View, partially in section, of the governor drive.

Referringto the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate correspondmg parts throughout the several views, 7' generally designates an internal combustion engine which includes an inlet manifold or pipeS. A radiator 9 is fragmentally' illuss5 trated in Fig. 1, which remark also applies to the front wheel 10. The front wheel has the usual speedometer driving gear 11 from which motion is derived for driving the goviernor of the regulating mechanism. The radiator 9 is provided with the chamber or' opening 12 in .which is placed the governor box 13. The front door 14 of the said gov.- ernor box or casing opens outwardly so as to render the mechanlsm disposed therein readily and easily accessible without necessitating the raising of thehood. A governor G is situated withm the box or casing 13 and includes a shaftl, to the upper extremity of which is rigidly secured the cross .beam so 15. A lower cross beam 16 is slidably mounted upon the shaft and pivotally secared to the said cross beams are the ball carrying .arms 17 and. connecting links 18. A pair of governor balls 19 a are. slidably mounted upon the arms 17 and adjustably held in position bythe set screws 20; The shaft. 14 is journaled within suitable bean ings, preferably ball bearings 21, which are carried by the casing 13. The shaft is threaded as at 22, and. upon which is disposed the spring adjusting nut 23,.the latter moving into forced contact with thebowshaped spring 24 which extends between the said nut andthe lower slidin cross beam 16. A bell crank lever 25 is fulcrumed to a bracket 26 and. rotatably engages a grooved member or sleeve 28 which. is carried by the lower cross beam 16. .Thus, asthe lowercross beam. is raised,.theybell crank lever 2 5 1 is shifted, which motion is-im'parted to the connecting rod 29.. The connecting rod 29,

asillustrated inFig. 1, extends through a tube 30 from thegovern'or casing-13 to the fuel controlling valve 31. The fuel controlling valve 31? may be of anylconventionaltype and includes the arm .32 towhich the resilient spring 33 is connected and to which the connecting rod 29 is pivotally secured. Thus, as the connecting rod-is .moved forwardly by .t he raising of .the lower cross beam, the fuel controlling valve 31 will'be 4 closed or partly closed, cutting oil orlimiting the supply of fuel to the engine. The fuel controlling valve 31 is provided with the door 34, rendering the interior thereof accessible and in" order to prevent the same from being moved open, either accidentally or. maliciously, the tie rod35 isprovided, secured thereto, and projects through the casing 13, at which point the wing nut 36 is provided. This nut being disposed within the casing 13 cannot be reached unless the door 14 is first opened. The rod 35 also tends to brace the casing 13 as will be readily appreciated.

In order to transmit motion from the front wheel 10 to the overnor shaft 14', a flexible driving shaft 3 is provided, the same including an outer casing 38 and an inner driving member 39. The flexible driving shaft is connected to the shaft 14' as illustrated in detail in Fig. 3, in which the flexible casing 37 is held in position by a looking washer 39. This locking washeris in turn held to the bolted block or bearing 40 which projects beneath the box or casing 13. Inasmuch as the nuts 41. ,whereby the hearing or block 40 is held in position are disposed within. the casing they are also rendered inaccessible unless the front door of the'casing is first opened. A bearing member 42 rotatably receives the lower extremity of the flexible shaft and also .rotatably mounts the gear 43 which meshes with and isdriven by the gear 11. In. this manner, the rotation of the front wheel 10 will produce a rotation of the governor G with the consequential elevation or depression of the lower cross beam 16, according to the speed of rotation of the shaft.

Disposed within the casing 13 as illustrated in Fig. 1, is the hinged plate, 44 which is so arranged that the hinged portion may swing beneath the lower. cross beam 16 and into contact with the shaft 14?. The plate is hing edly .mounted at such height that when disposed beneath and holding the cross beam, in an elevated position, t e fuel regulating valve 31 will be completely closed, thus preventing the starting or running of the engine. The desirable feature of the foregoing resides in the fact that when it is des1red.to leave the car for some little time, the front door 14 is opened and the hinged plate 44 swung. beneath the lower cross beam 16, which, it is to be noted;

- has been previously raised, allowing such action to take place, This closesthe fuel controlling valve and until, such time .as the hinged plate is removed from such position,. will prevent the car or. automobile from bein used. I

The bal s .19 may be adjusted .alongthe arms- 17,]thus changing the speed at which the fuel valve will be closed. For a similar 651288.301}, the; shaft 14 isthread ed and the lspring adjusting nut 23 secured thereon. This allows the compressive force of the bowed spring :24 to be adjusted as desired. The shaft 14 may be graduated or the arms 17 may be so marked that the governor is adjusted so that the speed of the car will never exceed the allowable speed as deterset, the driver can proceed with the assurance that he isnot breaking any speed regulations and therefore does not have to be constantly watching the speedometer, but may proceed with safety at a speed closely approximating the maximum allowable velocity.

Having thus fully described my invention, what'I claim is z-= 1. The combination with a vehicle'with a radiator and fuel supply, of a casing built in the radiator thereof and provided with an outwardly opening door, and speed controlled means disposed within said casing, adapted to close the fuel supply at excessive vehicle speeds. j, 2. The combination with a vehiclewith a radiator and fuel controlling valve, of a casing built in'the radiator thereof and provided with an outwardly opening door, and speed controlled means disposed within said for regulating the speed necessary for the closure, of the fuel controlling valve.

posed within the inlet manifold of the vehicle engine, a housingtube extending between said governor. casing and fuel controlling valve, and a connecting rod disposed within said housing tube operably connecting said governor w1th said fuel controlling valve for the actuation of the latter by and with the former.

4-. The combination with a vehicle having a radiator, of a casing built in said radiator, the interior of said casing accessible from the front .of said radiator a speed controlling mechanism disposed within said casing, means mechanically connecting the. same to a wheel of the vehicle, and means mechanically connecting the, speed controlling means with the automobile driving mechanism for controlling the speed thereof. u 5. 'The combination with an automobile .with a. hood and driving means interposed therein, of a casing'disposed within said hoodand externally accessible with respect thereto, adjustable s eed controlling means disposed within sai casing and mechanically connected to said automobile, said casing for closing the fuel controlling valve at excessive" speeds, said adjustable means mined by law. Thus with the governor so 3. A. speed controlling mechanism for 1,112,137 v t. I 8

speed controlling means mechanically concontrolling the speed thereof, and means disnected to said automobile driving" means for posed within said casing adapted to lock controlling the speed thereof. v said speed controlling means out of operable 15 6. The combination with an automobile position. 5 with a hood and driving means interposed In testimony that I claim theforegoing therein, of a casing disposed within said as my own, I have hereto aflixed my slgnahood and externally accessible with respect ture in the presence of two witnesses. \thereto, adjustable speed controlling means disposed within said casing and mechani- HENDERSON 10 cally connected to said automobile, said Witnessesz' speed controlling means mechanically con- F. C. CHAMBERS,

nected to said automobile driving means for W. C. YOUNG- 

